The Peace That Calmed His Storm
by AmenziliaPoppy
Summary: [VashxOC (Kiri)] Vash is the world's number one pacifist. But drunk, he's a potential killer. Even protecting the one he loves, even in the face of a cold-blooded criminal, he'd rather die than get out of a situation by killing another person. But even heroes...even Vash the Stampede...makes mistakes.


This is a fanfiction I wrote for my friend. I got her into Trigun when I hadn't yet finished watching it and we watched the whole anime together over the course of just a couple of days. She loves Vash a lot, so I wanted to write something sweet for her and Vash.

Hope you all enjoy!

**The Peace That Calmed His Storm**

Vash the Stampede, living legend and notorious outlaw the Humanoid Typhoon, was feared among mortals, just as much as he was sought after. With a 60,000,000$$ bounty on his head and a reputation for flattening towns, there were few who didn't run at the very mention of his name.

He was a monster. Cruel and unfeeling, he destroyed everything he touched. He could hardly be considered human.

So what was he doing going out to eat with a pretty young girl by his side? This wasn't the Humanoid Typhoon the world knew and feared. Nobody expected to see Vash the Stampede casually eating caviar in a five-star restaurant. So nobody so much as flinched when he threw the door open, his long red cloak blowing in the wind, his glasses glowing a pale orange.

"Here you are, my lady!" He stepped back and waved in the girl standing awkwardly behind him in a flowing, red dress that matched his cloak perfectly.

"V-Vash…really, you don't need to open the door for me. I can do it myself."

"But it's my pleasure." He took her by the hand and led her in, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "That's what couples do, isn't it, Kiri?"

Kiri blushed and looked away. "Not here, Vash."

At that, Vash span around, folding his hands and smiling. His blue eyes sparkled in a way she'd only seen his eyes do it. He leant into her, wrapping one arm around her back and the other under her legs. "But I want to show off my beautiful girl." With that, he swept her off her feet and carried her over to the table in the corner.

"Vash! What are you doing?!" Kiri demanded. She wrapped her hands around Vash's shoulders, looking down at the ground as he carried her. "People are staring at us!" Kiri's face was scarlet.

"Isn't that the point?"

She expected to jostle in his arms but found that instead, he was incredibly gentle with her, holding her close to him so that she didn't shift out of his arms and fall. He set her down in a chair, sat down in the one across from her, and picked up his menu, adjusting his glasses in a failed attempt to look smart. "Tell me, what do you hunger for, my angel?"

Kiri jumped in her seat, the blush returning. "I don't know, I've never eaten somewhere this fancy. And I'm sure everything here is really expensive…"

"Never fear!" Said Vash, throwing his menu down and thrusting a fist in the air determinedly. "I came here for a reason! Being a five-star restaurant like this, I'm sure they have the best donuts in town! Such a treat is worthy of any expense."

Kiri rolled her eyes and sighed. "That's the only reason why you took me here, isn't it? To satisfy your donut fetish."

Vash flinched. "It's not a fetish!" He pouted. "And I wanted to spend time with you, Kiri." He looked up at her with puppy dog eyes that didn't quite seem to match the flashy red cloak and cheesy spiked hair.

"E-Eh…you spend time with me every day! You're my bodyguard! You never leave my sight!" She yelled, eyes flaring.

"But rescuing you from bad guys isn't nearly as fun as taking you out on a date. As your bodyguard, I'm constantly worrying about you. I'd like to just relax and enjoy being around you for once."

Her eyes were wide. "R-Really?"

Vash smiled at her warmly.

Kiri's blue eyes were kind. "I worry about you too, you know..."

He stared at her, and then broke into a stupid grin. "Oh, I always knew you cared!" He reached over the table and wrapped his arms around her in an awkward hug. Kiri just let him hug her, a small smile of pleasure sprouting on her face. Vash may have been an idiot, but he was a kind idiot.

A few minutes later, a waiter showed up to take their orders. Vash waited as Kiri ordered her food and then spoke up. "I'd like two dozen of your priciest plain donuts!"

The man stood there, staring at him. "Um, s-sir? This is a gourmet restaurant."

"Well than I'll take two dozen of our priciest plain _gourmet_ donuts!" He corrected himself.

"We do not serve plain donuts. Certainly not by the dozen." Replied the confused waiter, looking at Vash strangely. "…we have pastries, though."

Vash got a look of horror on his face. "That's not the same thing!" He cried.

Kiri reached across the table and put a hand over his to calm him down. "Vash, it's okay! You can just order something else." She looked at him with stern eyes.

But Vash was hysterical. "What kind of cruel establishment doesn't serve donuts?" He asked, coming to tears. "It's a crime! What is this world coming to?"

"Vash!" Kiri scolded while the waiter began apologizing for the inconvenience. She looked at him and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry about this. My…" she glanced at the sobbing mess lying on the table beside her. "…friend can be a little particular about his food. It's probably because he hasn't had his nap yet." She glared at him mockingly.

"If it's a problem, we could make simple pastries in a donut shape. However, it would take a little longer."

Her face brightened up. "Yes, please. Thank you very much." She turned to Vash, who was holding his head and whimpering. "Right, Vash? Thank the kind man." She gritted her teeth.

Vash looked up slowly, his face wet with tears. "It's just not the same…"

Kiri smacked him in the head, causing him to yelp and rub his spiky blonde hair where she'd hit him. "But you'll eat it and like it anyway, right, Vash?" She smiled a tight smile at him.

He nodded vigorously, momentarily scared into submission by his angry date. He then looked sadly at the man in uniform. "Until they come, I guess I'll just drown my sorrows in alchohol."

The waiter nodded, a confused look on his face, and was gone.

When the whisky arrived, Kiri looked at Vash and again rolled her eyes. "Whisky, really?"

"Haven't you heard? Alcohol solves all problems." He said as he tipped his head back and downed half his glass in one gulp.

Three hours later, the donuts had not come, while Kiri had long since finished her meal and was pretty sure they'd blown off the Vash's plea—and Vash? He was singing an old cowboy song and laughing at the wall. Yep, he'd definitely had enough.

He'd pulled up his chair next to Kiri's and had an arm wrapped around her shoulder. He pulled her closer to him and turned his face downward, temporarily putting his one-man band to a stop. "Why aren't you singing with me?" He asked, pouting.

"Because you're drunk and everybody in the restaurant is looking at us." She said, slightly irritable. Although Kiri would never admit it, she had missed Vash as much as he'd missed her, and when he'd told her he wanted to take her out on a date, she'd actually gotten really excited. But if she'd known it was just another excuse for Vash to get drunk and gorge on food, all the while making them both look like idiots, she wouldn't have come. Sometimes, in the chaos that was their lives—with Vash constantly having to save her from people coming after her father's money—she forgot that he was really just a big idiot at heart. When it came to guns, he was usually a lucky idiot, but an idiot none the less.

But she wasn't prepared for what Vash did next. "Kiri, I have a confession to make…" He slurred, his head resting on hers. She flinched, feeling chills go up her spine at the way he was holding her. But she didn't dislike it. In fact, despite the slight smell of alcohol she could smell on him, she enjoyed it.

She looked up at him, frowning slightly. "A confession?"

Vash was gazing into her eyes, his own eyes half closed, a dreamy smile on his face. "I…" He put his hands over hers and held them, rocking a little in his chair. "I h-have to tell you…b-before this night is o-over…"

She smiled sweetly at him, patting him on the shoulder. "Okay, Vash, maybe it's time to go home. You're clearly very drunk. You can hardly talk. Whatever it is, you can tell me after you pass out on my couch."

"No!" He glared at her, a childlike frown on his face. Then suddenly the frown faded away into a shy pout. "I-I don't know if I'll s-still have the c-courage then…I knew this was g-going to h-happen…and I wanted to take this ch-chance to tell you something r-really important…"

Kiri frowned. "Courage for what?"

Vash's face lit up in scarlet. Whether that was the alcohol or something else, Kiri couldn't say. She just stared at him intently and waited for Vash to explain himself. "Vash, you're acting really weird…"

His eyes slipped a little farther closed. He wobbled in his seat. The blush still covering his face, he smiled and said, "Kiri…I-I…I love you…" He half hugged her, half slumped sleepily into her, curling into her lap with his arms wrapped around her waist. His eyes closed, the blush deepening, the silly smile never leaving his lips. Vash made a noise that was almost like a purr and then proceeded to full on fall asleep there on their two chairs in the middle of the restaurant.

Kiri's eyes went wide, and a blush almost as bright as Vash's dusted her cheeks in red. She laid her hands over Vash, rubbing his back as he fell into deep sleep. She looked down at him, her thoughts racing, a smile going to her lips at the way Vash snuggled into her side. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. He'd picked now to confess his love? Was this really why he'd really taken her here? Because Vash had been dying to tell her his true feelings and he knew he couldn't do it unless he was a lot braver than he really was, or he was very, very drunk…?

It wasn't hard to tell that Vash thought of her as special. She'd known this nearly from the beginning. He was always telling her how pretty she was, or how kind she was to him. Constantly hugging her, holding her hand, reassuring her, saving her life too many times to count, saving her from her own personal demons…but she'd never really taken him seriously. Vash seemed to more or less take life as one big game. She'd assumed he saw her the same way. A toy to play and have fun with, not someone to have serious feelings for.

But maybe she'd been wrong. She thought, feeling butterflies in her stomach, that maybe she had the same feelings for him. Maybe this wasn't a shock, maybe this was what she'd been waiting for. Maybe this _was_ going to be a day to remember.

So when she heard the restaurant doors go crashing open, when she heard the guns cock and the screaming begin, Kiri couldn't believe her luck when she realized that she'd been caught in the middle of a robbery. Now of all times, when a passed out drunk Vash lay in her arms…

"Oh, shit…" Kiri muttered below her breath. "Vash, now might be the time for you to pass on some of that crazy luck of yours to me…"

"Alright, alright, alright! Everybody, on the floor with their hands up!" Said one tough looking taller man in a mask and sand goggles.

In unison, every customer in the restaurant sank to their knees. Most of them were very rich, and had probably never experienced something like this, so they were very quick to comply and the room filled with an aura of terror.

Kiri inwardly cursed to herself. She was in the corner of the room, and now she was glad Vash had chosen this place to sit. She wondered briefly if this was why. She knew Vash had seen a lot of action in his life. As her bodyguard, if for no other reason, had he even then been trying to keep her safe?

She pushed him gently off of her lap, being careful not to disturb his sleep because it would only create chaos if he woke up. She got on her knees, trying to keep out of sight of the robbers from behind a counter. Kiri surveyed the situation, a dark look in her eyes. She fingered the pistol that was concealed in a small holster under her jacket. The one that Vash didn't know she carried.

She might need it tonight. Why? Because she was going to save this restaurant.

A fancy place like this, the robbers were clearly going straight for the money hold. However, they didn't mind wasting time mugging the wealthy customers who sat on their hands and knees like sitting ducks in plain view. Kiri, on the other hand, eyed the criminals like a hawk, watching as two stayed in the main room, and several more went to round up strays, as well as search the place for valuables.

Kiri kept moving. She stayed on her hands and knees as much as she could, and hid among the decorations as they rounded up the restaurant's poor, terrified customers and tied them up in the center of the room. She'd climbed the stairs to the second floor and was sitting on the edge of the balcony, looking down and wondering where the restaurant's manager was, when she heard a voice. "There we go, aren't we all cozy in here, now?" Said the ring leader, sneering evilly.

One of his men laughed from across the room. "I don't think they like you very much, James!"

"Aw, you think so?" He asked, nudging a man in a suit on the ground with his shoe. "You like me, right, mister?"

The man's eyes went wide, and Kiri expected him to shrink back in fear, but instead, the man got a protective look, inching in front of the wife and little girl that were tied behind him.

"Aw, have a family, do you?" The criminal asked, a twisted grin on his face. "How sweet." He bent down in front of the man's wife and smiled at her. She held her daughter close to her, a look of fright in her face.

"Please, don't—" The businessman began, only to be startled into silence by the gun that was put to his head.

Everyone was silent as the robber broke into a noisy laugh and cocked the gun. "Want to test me?"

The little girl in her mother's arms suddenly pushed free, standing up and screaming, "Don't hurt my daddy!" She ran between the robber and her father and pushed the gun away from his head.

The businessman gasped. "Marissa!"

The criminal's gun shifted. A dull thump sounded as the barrel hit the girl's chest. "Do you want to die for your father's lack of respect, little girl?"

Kiri's eyes went wide. He was going to shoot her. He was going to shoot that sweet girl. Her eyes narrowed with anger and determination. She had to stop him. But the girl and her father were standing between him and Kiri. She couldn't get a clear shot and be sure she wouldn't hit one of them instead.

_Looks like I'm going to have to do this by hand_, she thought, securing the gun in her holster. She looked down. There was only one way to do this, and though she didn't like it, she wasn't going to sit by as an innocent child was murdered. And with that, her mind was made up. She mounted the rail, took a breath and jumped. She flew through the air and landed right on top of the robber, shoving him to the ground and putting her face above him. "How dare you think you have the right to take someone else's life!" She yelled, her voice echoing through the otherwise silent room. She realized with a small smile that Vash was really starting to rub off on her.

She knew though that unless she posed a real threat, they wouldn't take her seriously. Especially since she was a rich looking young girl dressed for a date, who didn't exactly look trained for combat. So before the criminal could recover from the shock of being landed on, Kiri led the gun out of its holster and held it to his neck.

She sighed heavily, trying to regain her breath, her eyes flaring with hatred for the piece of scum beneath her.

However, Kiri was confused when she realized he was smiling. Her eyes went round when she heard about 10 guns cock in the background. A group of the robber's men surrounded her, and they were all armed better than she was.

In a split second, she flipped into the air, dodging a hail of gunfire. The businessman had pulled his daughter and wife to safety and was looking with shocked eyes at Kiri. She landed a few feet away, smiling briefly at the man—just glad she could have saved them—and held out her pistol in front of her.

"Looks like we have a hero!" Said one man, laughing.

"Let's play with her…" Said another.

Kiri narrowed her eyes and shot the one who had said that in the leg, causing him to cry out and grab his shin.

"Why you little…shoot her!"

Again, the room erupted in gunfire and Kiri was forced to dodge and weave, firing shots from time to time as bullet holes riddled the wall around her. She glared at the mob. There was no way she could land any useful shots while dodging like this. Her dress blew behind her. A few stray bullets ran through the fabric, just missing her legs.

Then, pain tore through her as she felt a bullet hit her arm, missing the bone but cutting deep into the skin before going completely through. Kiri staggered back a bit. The sound of firing bullets was overpowering.

She could hear her heart beat, and she wondered briefly if she would die here. _It's not fair!_, she thought, though she knew it was stupid. _I'm not bulletproof like Vash is…I can't just leap in, say a few catchy lines about love and peace and save everyone like he can…I—_

Then she saw red.

A veil of red fell before Kiri in the form of a flashy, bright cloak. A form landed before her. All she saw was the red that he was dressed in, and above that a mop of spikey blonde hair. Her face was pale. _What?_

"My name…is…S-Stampede. S-Stampede the…V-Vash!" Came a slurred voice from the figure.

Kiri screamed out Vash's name as the gunfire continued to rain down on them, realizing that if he didn't move, he'd be shot to pieces and she'd have to see more than just the red on his cloak. But when she opened her eyes, she realized that though the wall behind them was filled with more bullet holes than there was wall, there was almost an exact outline of Vash's body where the mob had somehow managed to miss every time.

Vash stood, facing them down with his hands on his hips. Kiri stared. "Vash, what are you doing? I thought I left you passed out at our table…"

He turned around and winked at her. "Have you f-forgotten? I can smell g-gun powder from m-miles away."

"Even in a drunken slumber?" She said, eyeing him carefully.

He nodded, grinning, his eyes slightly glazed. She realized he was still very drunk.

The leader of the mob before them laughed hysterically, calling his men to lower their weapons. "Stampede the Vash?" He asked, grinning. "I don't know any Stampede the Vash. Do you, boys?" The rest of the men in the room shook their heads, laughing along with him.

Vash blinked, and chuckled to himself. "Oops…how silly of me." He lifted his gun from his pocket, holding it in front of him. The barrel wobbled. Kiri could hardly imagine him getting a clear shot at them. Not as drunk as he was. "M-My name…is Vash the Stampede, and don't you f-forget it!"

Somebody fired in Vash's direction, but he just pulled himself, and Kiri out of the way. He spun around in a move that was halfway between a dance step and an intoxicated stagger. He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently to the side. "Run, Kiri." She thought she heard him say, before he turned back around and faced the men, sending bullets in their direction.

Kiri fell back, gripping her bleeding shoulder. She looked at Vash in horror. Everything was moving too fast, she knew something terrible was going to happen unless she put a stop to it.

The protective smile on his face as he shot that gun was imprinted into her memory as she tried to steady herself on the wall.

_I-I don't know if I'll s-still have the c-courage then…_

His words came back to her a she watched him pull the trigger. Vash wore an only half-aware smile on his face, his eyes a hazy blue. He laughed crazily. Happily, even.

_I knew this was g-going to h-happen…and I wanted to take this ch-chance to tell you something r-really important…_

_How much does he really know?_, she wondered.

But her eyes widened as yet another shot rang, and one of Vash's bullets went through the ring leader's abdomen. His scream of pain, the sight of blood trickling down his shirt, the sound of him hitting the floor a few seconds later…all alerted them to the fact that Vash had seriously injured the man.

Kiri's eyes went wide. She'd never seen Vash shoot a man like that.

Apparently, he'd never seen himself shoot a man like that either, because his eyes dilated, suddenly sobered by the sight of a man bleeding out before him. The mob glared at him, many raising their weapons once again, and more shots rang. But Kiri's eyes were trained on Vash alone. She watched in shock as his face went pale and his hands started to shake, his grip on the gun loose. It was only then that she remembered…Vash's aim got better when he was drunk.

When he shot at people's arms and legs, it wasn't because he couldn't do better. It was because he didn't like to kill. He was naturally a perfect marksman; he could probably shoot a fly in the eye from a mile away. When he was drunk, his subconscious desire to hit his target square on took over. And when he was drunk, when he shot, he shot to kill.

"V-Vash?"

He staggered back a few more steps. "D-Did I do that?" He said drunkenly.

Shots rang all around him. It was a wonder one hadn't hit him yet. Kiri screamed, tears coming to her eyes. "Vash!" She dashed into the hail of gunfire, ignoring the danger, and leapt into his shaking arms, pushing him to the ground and behind a nearby counter. She looked down at him with worried eyes. "Vash, are you okay? They didn't shoot you, did they?"

Vash had hit his head when Kiri tackled him. Now he looked up at her with glazed eyes that were out of focus. She flinched and realized she was on top of him. Kiri lifted herself off of him, sitting by his side and grabbing his hand. "Vash…" She wondered how long he'd be able to keep conscious. "Vash, you stupid idiot…you're supposed to be passed out, sleeping off all the booze you drank. Not fighting. Not fighting for me."

He looked up through unfocused eyes. "That man…" His eyes widened. "I sh-shot him. Is he okay?" He slurred.

Kiri stared. "Vash, that man is a criminal. He's probably killed plenty of innocent people himself."

Vash only shook his head, muttering, half awake and half passed out again. He put a hand on Kiri's shoulder, trying to stand but failing miserably. "I have to…t-to do something…"

Kiri's eyes flared. Vash's face was feverish. His eyes slipped closed and he proceeded to pass out on Kiri's shoulder, whispering softly just beforehand, "…it's all my fault."

Holding Vash in her arms and sitting there, crouched behind the corner, Kiri wondered why the mob hadn't come after them yet. But it soon became clear to her why none of them had when she'd pushed him out of the line of fire like that. Because seconds later, the town's sheriff and his men had filled the building, placing the robbers under arrest and taking a quick hold of the situation. Kiri stood up and looked around the room. It was filled with shouting—from the robbers and the sheriff's men both—and cries of relief from the customers of the restaurant. Kiri could see through eyes tinted with worry that now the manager was walking around, trying to survey the damage and calm his customers. Kiri saw the businessman that she had saved. He was holding a phone. He was the one who had called the sheriff…he was smiling at her.

Kiri walked over to him, the first inviting face she caught. "E-Excuse me…" She glanced back at Vash, who lay passed out on the floor. "M-My friend…"

"Thank you so much." He said, putting a hand on her arm. "Really, my whole family thanks you. And my daughter…"

"What happened to the man?"

"The one your friend shot?"

"Y-Yes." She said, trying to keep her composure.

"The wound wasn't fatal, they say, if that's what you're asking. But he'll be behind bars for the recovery, of course. What about your friend? Is he alright?" He looked past Kiri at where one of Vash's boots could be seen sticking out from behind the counter.

"He's okay…" Kiri bit her lip. There was nothing physically wrong with Vash that couldn't be slept off with a night of rest. But what he'd said before passing out bothered her. "I should take him home though."

"The sheriff will want your statement. You saved us all." He said, blinking at her.

"It was nothing." Kiri stood to go help Vash. But as she did, she remembered something she'd heard him say once before. She turned back to the man and smiled warmly at him. "I'm just a regular human being. No better, no worse, than any of you."

That night, Vash still hadn't woken up. Kiri had put him in bed, and was sitting on the bed next to him, reading and starting to fall asleep herself when she heard a quiet moan escape the man. He was in his black undersuit, his red jacket hanging on a peg by the door, and his blonde hair was down, hanging in his face. So it took her a moment to realize that there were tears in his eyes.

"Vash?!" She dropped her book and looked him over. He turned on his side, still asleep, and she jumped with surprise as he grabbed her arm. "Vash, are you okay?"

His eyes were closed in a tight frown. He held onto Kiri's arm for dear life and curled into her. A tear ran down his cheek. "I'm a killer…"

Kiri's eyes went wide.

"That man is…d-dead…by m-my hand…" She could hear his choking sobs as his head fell into the indentation in the bed where she sat.

"Vash…" Kiri grabbed onto the shoulders of the shaking man, pulling him up into a sitting position. She wiped the tears from his eyes and hugged him. "Vash, you're not a killer. You're a kind, gentle person, so don't ever say something like that. Please."

Vash's eyes snapped open, waking from his dream. But seeing Kiri's arms wrapped around him, hearing the words she whispered into his ear, caused tears to flood his eyes. He put his hands around her waist and held her close. "I killed him, Kiri!" He sobbed. "Criminal or not, he was a human life and I took it, I took something I had no right to take…"

"No you didn't." She whispered, running a hand through his slightly sweaty blonde hair. "He's okay. Behind bars, but okay."

Vash's eyes went wide. "B-But the bullet…it went s-straight through his stomach…"

"It must have missed all of his vital organs because they said the doctor who checked him out said he'd be fine."

She could fear the sleeve of her shirt getting soaked with tears. Vash whimpered quietly.

She laughed nervously. She stroked his hair, holding him tight and whispering, "You're such a kind person that even the thought of killing a violent criminal who would put the life of a reckless girl like me in danger horrifies you…Vash, he's alright…you can stop crying now…"

Vash hesitated, remembering. Suddenly he pulled back, grabbing her arm and looking her up and down. She yelped in surprise, and a huge blush went over her face as she felt his hands inspect her, running up her arms, over her waist, his fingers brushing her neck. "V-V-Vash! What are you doing?!"

Tears again came to his eyes. "I-I'm…just so glad you're okay…"

The blush turned scarlet. "I'm…fine." She looked away shyly. "Really, Vash." She eyed the hand that was still on her hip nervously. She'd never been touched this way by any other man besides Vash, and every time he did it, it made her heart beat faster.

"Are you sure you're alright? They didn't touch you, did they?" His eyes widened when he remembered the graze on her arm. "Take off your shirt."

"_What?!_"

Vash blushed, startled. "N-Not like that. I mean…pull your sleeve up." But he didn't wait for her to do it herself. Instead, he gently proceeded to take her jacket off and fold the sleeve of her dress up, his eyes narrowing at the blood that had stained her clothes. "…oh my."

Kiri sat, blushing like hell, as he cleaned the wound and bandaged it like an expert. Thoughts were spiraling through her head. What had gone on that night, what he had done, what he had said…

_Kiri…I-I…I love you…_

She thought, with a saddening face, that he knew how to bandage wounds way too well…he'd probably done it more than his fair share of times in his life.

When he was done, he sat there, ignoring the tears in his eyes. He turned to Kiri, and as she stared at him, waiting for him to say something, he simply leant into her, resting his head on her chest and closing his eyes. "Uh…V-Vash?"

"I'm tired…" He whispered softly.

She sighed. What was she going to do with this helpless man? She hated to see him so shaken up…she had to do something to calm him down somehow. Then her eyes lit up, remembering what she'd done before he'd woken up. "Vash?" She whispered, patting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Mm…"

"C'mon, Vashy boy…" She tapped him harder, giving him a slight push. "I have something that might cheer you up."

"Mmm…what?"

"I bought donuts." She whispered.

Vash went stiff. "You did what?" He asked, eyes wide.

She pointed to the bedside table, where a box filled with a dozen plain donuts sat. "I wanted you to have something to eat when you woke up…" She smiled.

He looked at her with slowly sprouting joy. "Y-You…you wonderful goddess! You amazing woman! You're so good to me!" He mauled the donut box, eating his first one in one gulp.

Kiri stared in shock. "Hey! Slow down! You're going to get sick!"

"Oh come, now. Donuts never made anyone sick. And if they did, it's a lie. Donuts are a gift sent from God. They never did anyone anything but good."

She rolled her eyes as he sat on the bed, leaning into her with closed eyes and savoring the donuts she had bought with a silly smile on his face. "Beautiful woman…" He kept repeating. "Beautiful wonderful person who's kind to me and says nice things and…" He'd take another bite and then continue. "She's so sweet and friendly and she has beautiful flowing brown hair and cool blue eyes that I love…"

Kiri blinked, feeling her heart beat a little faster. "W-What?"

"You're beautiful." He snuggled closer to her, smiling and giggling a little…giggling. She wondered briefly if he wasn't still a little drunk. And with a start, she remembered what he'd said to her earlier. "Um…Vash?"

"Yes, princess?"

She looked down, a blush coming over her again. "Would you answer a question for me?"

"I'd do anything for you~"

"D-Do you remember what you said to me before?"

"I said a lot of things."

She sighed, looking away and closing her eyes. _Is this what love feels like?_ She wondered. _This quickening of the heart, this weird flip flop in the bottom of my stomach? I can't even look him in the eyes, I'm so nervous_... "Y-You said it was something you weren't sure y-you'd have the courage for later. S-Something you'd been wanting to say for a while." Kiri turned back to Vash, looking him in the eyes as he finished. "Y-You said you knew this was going to happen…what did you mean by that? You knew what was going to happen? I mean…you were very drunk. Is that what you were trying to do? Get so wasted that you weren't going to remember what you'd said to me the next morning? Are you just a coward after all, Vash the Stampede?" She shook her head, eyes flaring. "B-Because I remember!" She was shaking. "You k-knew I'd r-remember…"

She watched, in a state of shock, as Vash stood up and walked over to the empty donut box.

"W-What are you doing?" She asked. "I'm talking to you!"

"Where is it…" He muttered to himself as he dug around in the bottom of the box, searching for something. "Ahh…here it is!" He pulled out of the box a small plastic ring in the shape of a donut. It was a kid's toy that they put in the bottom of the boxes of certain orders. Vash smiled, holding it up in the air. He turned to Kiri. "Hold still." Kiri went pale as Vash got down on one knee, holding the ring in front of his bowed head.

"Kiri…will you be my donut bride?"

"_Are you still drunk?!_"

Vash looked up at her with perfectly clear sky blue eyes. "Drunk on love."

She stared. "I…"

He bowed his head again. "Kiri, be my donut bride…my plant wife…my immortal girlfriend…however you want to put it…won't you put on this ring and be mine?"

When he looked up again, it was Kiri's turn to cry. She was standing there, over Vash, her hands shaking. Tears fell from her eyes.

Vash tilted his head. "I-Is that a yes?"

"I…I-I…"

"Because you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You're the kindest person I've ever known. You are the up to my down. You love me when I'm not lovable. You see me when I'm invisible. You—"

He gasped as he felt her arms wrap around him, pushing him back against the wall. The ring fell to the ground as he fell into a hug. She leant into him, lifting her head and kissing him on the lips. His eyes went wide. "K-Kiri…" He kissed back.

"Y-Yes…"

"What?"

"Yes, I'll marry you, Vash. V-Vash the S-Stampede…"

Her entire body was shaking, and her whole face was red as she felt a hand go under hers, lifting it up to the light. Vash calmly picked up the ring that was now on the ground and lifted it to her finger. He looked at her. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, her face streaked with tears. She thought, quietly to herself, that she loved Vash's stupid side. She loved it when he acted like an idiot. The childlike look in his eyes, like the look of a little kid after his first kiss, it was enough to send her heart into a frenzy. She sat, a smile just as wide as his on her face, as he shakily put the ring on her hand. "Then I hereby announce you, Kiri Kugumi, engaged to Vash the Stampede, Humanoid Typhoon…natural disaster."

"No." She smiled. "Just Vash." She put her finger to his lips, her eyes closed in a smile. "Because I'm going to be the peace that calms your storm."

He hugged her. "You already are."

She felt the ring on her finger and hugged him back.


End file.
